| For those that travel abroad, it is not unlikely to hear | | | | is built as a box instead of using a hardwood face |
| from Europeans that Europe has increasingly become | | | | frame. Typically, the sides as well as other structural |
| more like the U.S. and to hear from those here in the | | | | components of full-access cabinetry are made with |
| U.S. that America is more and more like Europe. | | | | heavier or thicker materials making the additional front |
| Although this converging trend towards a common | | | | frame unnecessary for its structural soundness. When |
| center called the global marketplace can sometimes | | | | the doors and drawers are closed, you can see more |
| create disagreement politically or economically; for our | | | | of both as they present a 'full overlay' in that they |
| lives and times, lived out daily in our kitchens, it can only | | | | cover almost the entire cabinet with tight or unbroken |
| add some spice when we can take advantage of the | | | | reveals (or gaps) between each door/drawer front. |
| best of all worlds with more in terms of-all in the spirit | | | | This full-overlay door style conceals hinges totally, and |
| of better suiting all of our unique lifestyle needs and | | | | is adjustable for perfect alignment. Recovering the |
| preferences as never before. | | | | reduction in width and height lost with the presence of |
| Understanding the influences that contribute to the | | | | a frame with framed cabinetry, the interior width is the |
| growing diversity in the tastes of today's consumer is | | | | same as the opening; hence, the term full-access. |
| very important for cabinet makers who are intent on | | | | Full-access cabinetry offers a wide range of benefits, |
| satisfying their preferences. When it comes to the | | | | both aesthetic and functional. Creating a seamless |
| kitchen cabinets and bathroom cabinets we choose | | | | design scheme from door to door, frameless cabinetry |
| for our homes, many of us begin by visualizing their | | | | gained a wide acceptance in the United States on the |
| appearance which is driven by all of our experiences; | | | | coastal regions and as its benefits continues to be |
| maybe you have traveled a lot, grew up in the country | | | | experienced by craftsman and homeowners; its |
| or perhaps a big city and you begin to imagine how a | | | | popularity is increasing across the country. |
| particular style like contemporary or traditional, will work | | | | The Advantages of Full-Access Cabinetry |
| with your vision. | | | | Driven by design tastes and practicality, homeowners |
| Once you have an aspiring vision of what you're | | | | and homebuilders are beginning to understand the |
| looking for in a design, you should not select cabinets | | | | added advantages of full-access cabinetry and |
| merely on their looks, but also on the quality of | | | | consensus is building that if you're purchasing cabinets |
| construction. It is important to first get acquainted with | | | | made from a quality cabinet maker, full access |
| the various types of cabinetry; which include stock, | | | | cabinets are the superior choice. |
| ready-to-assemble (RTA), semi-custom, fully custom, | | | | - Flexibility in Design: With full access cabinetry, there |
| and a new imported custom cabinetry channel. You | | | | are no face frames showing on the cabinet making |
| can see how easy it might be to get overwhelmed by | | | | them the preferred choice of designers who demand |
| all of these terms, so let's simplify it all by clarifying the | | | | clean, simple lines; also, they offer a wide selection of |
| two types of cabinet construction, American traditional | | | | features that allow a virtually infinite measure of |
| face frame or framed cabinet, and what is increasingly | | | | customization. |
| being considered as the vanguard in modern | | | | - Structural Integrity: Full-access cabinetry is made to |
| manufacturing efficiency, full-access cabinetry. | | | | last and whether its entire box is made of plywood or |
| American Style or "Framed" Construction | | | | industrial grade particleboard, it is structurally sound. |
| Face frame cabinets use solid wood joinery at the | | | | - Ease of Installation: The ends and sides of the |
| front of the cabinet to form, as the name suggests, a | | | | cabinets are flush like fine furniture and the hardware is |
| face frame around the front of the cabinet while | | | | accommodating if you need to adjust the position of |
| frameless cabinets don't. You can usually tell the | | | | the doors for precise alignment. |
| difference between the two types of cabinet | | | | - Easy and Complete Access: As the name implies, |
| construction by the way the doors and drawers fit | | | | full-access cabinets bypass the frame altogether |
| against the front. With the framed cabinet, you see a | | | | allowing complete unobstructed access to your |
| mixture of frame and door/drawer front, with wide | | | | cabinet interior. Using the entire box, the cabinet is |
| reveals (or gaps) between each door/drawer front. | | | | made more accessible while providing a couple of |
| This is called a frame-overlay style. When the doors | | | | extra inches of space; in some cases, as much as |
| of the cabinet are closed you can still see the cabinet | | | | 10-20% more storage space. |
| face frames around the doors and drawer fronts and | | | | - Maximum Space Utilization:Full-access provides more |
| you can often see the hinges as well. Framed | | | | usable space inside a frameless cabinet compared to |
| cabinetry is most likely the one you will feel familiar | | | | a same-sized framed product-further enhanced with |
| with as it has been the standard style in America for | | | | larger drawers and roll out shelves; and, because the |
| several decades. This is due to the fact that framed | | | | cabinet box itself is structural, it has fewer braces and |
| cabinetry was made widely available by big | | | | reinforcements inside the cabinet, and thus more |
| manufacturers who generally produce face frame | | | | space inside. |
| cabinets and distribute in various places to buy | | | | - Suits Both Traditional and Contemporary Designs: |
| cabinetry including big-box home centers. Made | | | | With a minimalist, smooth appearance, full-access is |
| typically with a plywood or particle board box that is | | | | the preferred choice of designers who demand |
| held together by a hardwood frame attached to the | | | | maximum space utilization, ergonomics and aesthetics, |
| front, framed cabinetry is identified by the spaces | | | | with the appropriate materials. Working equally well to |
| between the doors and drawers where the frame is | | | | execute a traditional look as modern or contemporary, |
| visible. The interior of the cabinet is wider on both sides | | | | flush doors and hidden hinges create seamless, |
| than the cabinet opening. The face frame usually | | | | sophisticated looks achievable only with full access |
| extends into the opening about 3/4" or more. Even | | | | cabinetry. |
| though the prevalence of full-access cabinetry is | | | | As you have discovered, these two cabinet |
| increasingly featured in style and design publications, | | | | construction types result in completely different sets of |
| framed cabinets are still the choice-of-comfort in the | | | | capabilities. While full-access cabinetry can achieve |
| United States representing "about two-thirds" of | | | | both the architecturally inspired, old world classics with |
| cabinet purchases. | | | | all the time-honored antique qualities, it can also satisfy |
| European Style or "Full-Access" Construction | | | | the sleeker, clean-lined contemporary European motifs |
| Full-access (sometimes called European or | | | | that framed cabinetry cannot. Full access cabinets are |
| frameless)is the standard for European-style cabinets; | | | | the new standard in Kitchen Cabinets with their |
| resembling a box, they don't need a face frame as the | | | | furniture quality fit, and as a result, many newer homes |
| front edge of the cabinet sidewall functions efficiently | | | | have full access cabinets. Full-access cabinetry simply |
| as the front of the cabinet itself. Full-access cabinetry | | | | presents a classic case of No Compromise. |